Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1887-11-12

ST. GAUDEN's STATUE OF LINCOLN.
The intense feelings of the thousands
who had assembled to witness the csre-
mony we're divided between disposition
to hail the splendid triumph of the sculp-
tor and eager curiosity to examine its
merits in detail. There could be only one
opinion: that the counterfeit presentment
was indeed Abraham Lincoln. The ideal.
ism of the artists scheme had been per-
fectly embodied. Digniied, as becomes
the head of great nation; majestic, as
becomes the emancipation of 100000 hu-
man beings; tender, as was the heart of
the gentlest of men; sad, as he must have
been throughout the whole of his official
life; tall and 1.-THE, but neither muscular
nor sinewy, he stands forever, his rugged,
deeply scanned countenance STOPPING, az
it we're. little over the people, as his
mind must have stopped upon them all,
North and South, with pity, attention, and
compassion, to the close OF his conscious
ness.
The sculptor's study of his subject has
been minute and scrupulous. The truth
fulness of the whole was instantaneously
realized. Then scrutiny passed to the
details. There is the old-fashioned care
lessly rolled collar falling in reversed fur
row over the thick silk cravat. There lie
the old-fashioned shIrt-front, with the two
wide plaits on either side of the middle
one with its honest buttons and button
holes exactly in the middle. There is the
medium low wrink!ed vest, none too well
fitted, and the long round old style black
corded watchguard passing about the
neck and carrying the watch to the left
pocket of the vest. There is the old frock
coat, its slightly shirred sleeve tops, its
loose, bagging sleeves, its buttons none
TOO tight in their places, its collar show.
ing the passing from the old high roll,
like that on Byron and o. Connell, to the
narrow fashionable Aatness of the present
day. There are the loose trousers, ill-fit-
ting at the ankles, and the Western square
toed boots. The bronze chair of state re-
lieves the figure and appropriately sym.
bolizes the exalted functions of the Office
it suggests.
The Grafton Of Ldnooln's old friend,
Leonard SWEET, was worthy of the theme
and the occasion. He told of the obscure
birth, the early ton, the dreary youth, and
the bravny early manhood of Abraham
Lincoln; and this portion of the address
is its most charming feature. There were
touches of perfect art upon the descrip-
ton of their riding the circuit together
when they swan swollen, bridgeless rivers,
slept in beds that we're not long enough,
ate the rudest food, and we're in constant
contact with discomfort; and thr ough it
all no'word of complaint had ever passed
the lips Of the rsisplittsr and fatboat
man become lsvysf and Legislator. He
told Of his povsety md freedom from
vain desire; Of hb se1aiousness and learn
ing, the man who - ben In school only
six weeks in Ill - hls, Of his profound
convictions, Of hi dor reasoning, of mis-
invincible moral eo1sags that made him
say what hs bsljsvoa Without personsi in
terest in its oonssQ0aosea
The sculptor ~ - ~ dsis unrecog-
nized, his vile - Gkld at his side
There was perhs p ttlls thought of him
in the minds Of 1os1ef those who cheered
the great work With has absorbed his
existence for three ysars.